MIT Tops Engineering School Rankings

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology grabbed the top spots in U.S. News & World Report’s 2010 survey of the best undergraduate engineering programs.

MIT took the honors in a ranking of engineering schools whose highest degree is a doctorate. Schools following MIT were, in order: Stanford (2); Cal-Berkeley (3); Cal Tech (tied for 4th); Georgia Tech (tied for 4th); University of Illinois (6); University of Michigan (7); Carnegie Mellon (tied for 8th); Cornell (tied for 8th); and Purdue (tied for 8th).

Rose-Hulman ranked atop the poll in a separate category for schools whose highest degree is a bachelor’s or master’s. Schools following Rose-Hulman were, in order: Harvey Mudd (2); Cooper Union (tied for 3rd); U.S. Military Academy (tied for 3rd); California Polytechnic State University (tied for 5th); U.S. Air Force Academy (tied for 5th); U.S. Naval Academy (tied for 5th); Franklin Olin College of Engineering (8); Bucknell (tied for 9th); and Villanova (tied for 9th).

U.S. News said it based its ratings solely on a survey of engineering deans and senior faculty conducted in the spring of 2010.

The engineering schools survey has traditionally showed a marked difference from its overall school rankings, and 2010 was no exception. None of the top three schools in its “Best National Universities” category, for example, made the top ten in engineering. Harvard, Princeton and Yale – which took the top three spots in the “Best National” category – came in 26th, 11th and 40th respectively in the engineering rankings.

Among doctorate-level universities, MIT dominated many of the specialty areas. It ranked highest in aerospace/aeronautical, chemical, computer, electrical, materials and mechanical engineering.

U.S. News’ annual rankings include 42 schools in the “bachelor’s or master’s” category and 74 in the doctorate category.

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